2023 Draft Class Re-Grade Three Years Later

[Kwyn]

That was a horrific draft!

2001 draft class says hold my beer.

• Quincy Carter (Round 2, Pick 53) – QB, Georgia
• Tony Dixon (Round 2, Pick 56) – DB, Alabama
• Willie Blade (Round 3, Pick 93) – DT, Mississippi State
• Markus Steele (Round 4, Pick 122) – LB, USC
• Matt Lehr (Round 5, Pick 137) – C, Virginia Tech
• Daleroy Stewart (Round 6, Pick 171) – DT, Southern Miss
• Colston Weatherington (Round 7, Pick 207) – DE, Central Missouri State
• John Nix (Round 7, Pick 240) – DT, Southern Miss
• Char-ron Dorsey (Round 7, Pick 242) – T, Florida State

 

[kskboys]

You missed my point. It made sense getting a TE since they wanted to use two TEs. Wasn’t really commenting about Schoon. However, reaching one round early to get a player you think is going to be good isn’t the most egregious thing the cowboys have done. As I’ve stated in another thread, we have no idea what the actual league thinks of players so we can’t even really say he was over drafted. Obviously hasn’t worked out though.

Also, we as cowboys fans are jaded when it comes to second round TEs. Too many failures there. We wouldn’t be complaining if he has turned into a stud or if we didn’t have a history of second round TE busts.

I'm not talking about need, I'm talking about a very poor evaluation of the player. Schoon was a 4th/5th round talent. Yes, we can say he was overdrafted.

 

[DarkVader33]

I'm not talking about need, I'm talking about a very poor evaluation of the player. Schoon was a 4th/5th round talent. Yes, we can say he was overdrafted.

I remember him being touted as a third round pick

 

[Boys-fan]

4 picks on defense.
2 on the dline.
1 LB.
1 DB.
and only 1(overshown) in the end was worth it.
if the other 3 had panned out,gotta wonder how different our depth on that side of the ball would look.

i liked the mazi smith pick at the time.
i prefered notre dame te michael mayer but thought smith #1 would go before our pick and that #2 our f/o would continue to ignore dt in rd1.
maybe i was just excited they FINALLY took a dt after years of ignoring it.
i liked him at michigan....and like taco....the guy we got wasn't the one i watched in ann arbor.
i was wrong on both.

He looked good at Michigan because he knew the plays. That school is so over-hyped. Blue blood wannabe.

 

[Whyjerry]

That draft was just another in a line of Fs for Jerry. Mazi was a colossal blunder. Schoonadoodle is also a big a F. He has shown zero and was a wasted pick.

 

[fivetwos]

They panicked because they put themselves in a spot to have to replace Shultz via the draft. That’s why the unwritten rule is not to do that, but the Joneses know better.

That, plus DT being neglected or busted for so long made them take Mazi, then after the TE run in the second, they took whichever TE was left. If they didn’t pass on Torrence in the second, they wouldn’t have had to spend pick 12 on a guard last year.

One mistake fuels the next, and the narrative that they “draft well” isn’t quite as accurate as some want to believe. They have a decent percentage of not busting first rounders. That’s about it.

 

[dstew60105]

Legendary coaches like Tom Landry and Bill Parcells always preached the same philosophy: give a draft class three full seasons before deciding what you really have. Evaluating a draft immediately after it's announced or the morning after is entertaining, but it's also a fool's errand.

Now that we're in 2026, that three-year evaluation window has officially closed for the Cowboys' 2023 draft class. With three full seasons of evidence, it's time for an honest re-grade. Unfortunately, this one isn't difficult.

In my opinion, the Cowboys' 2023 draft class was a major disappointment.

2023 Draft Class Re-Grades

1st Round – DT Mazi Smith: F- (Bust)

2nd Round – TE Luke Schoonmaker: D (Has looked more like a fifth- or sixth-round pick than a second-round selection.)

3rd Round – LB DeMarvion Overshown: C+ (The lone bright spot. If he continues to develop, this grade could still improve.)

4th Round – DE Viliami Fehoko: F (The pedigree - Vita Vea - didn't translate to NFL production.)

6th Round – CB Eric Scott Jr.: F (Made worse by the fact that the Cowboys traded up to draft him.)

6th Round – RB Deuce Vaughn: F (A great story, but it never translated into sustained NFL)

7th Round – WR Jalen Brooks: F (Another late-round lottery ticket that didn't pan out.)

Seven draft picks and five of them earn an F from me, with only Luke Schoonmaker and "Agent 0" (DeMarvion Overshown) remaining on the roster today.

The consequences of this draft have been significant. Instead of building through young, inexpensive talent, the front office has had to spend premium assets correcting its mistakes. Trading away Micah Parsons along with future draft capital to acquire proven veterans like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark is a direct reflection of how costly these misses became.

When you largely sit out free agency—aside from bargain shopping for low-cost veterans—and then fail to capitalize on the draft, it's a recipe for falling behind the rest of the league. The draft is supposed to be the foundation of sustained success, and this class clearly failed to provide it.

My Final Grade for the Cowboys' 2023 Draft Class: D-

While Overshown has been a bright spot when on the field and Schoonmaker has at least remained on the roster, that's simply not enough to save a class that produced so little impact. Three years later, this draft stands as one of the Cowboys' biggest missed opportunities in recent memory. It's one thing to miss on a pick. That happens. But to miss on an entire draft is another. And Jerry Jones should be ashamed.

Brutal....

 

[kskboys]

I remember him being touted as a third round pick

Mediocre or below college production. He's a traits guy, not a football player.

 

[TwentyOne]

Legendary coaches like Tom Landry and Bill Parcells always preached the same philosophy: give a draft class three full seasons before deciding what you really have. Evaluating a draft immediately after it's announced or the morning after is entertaining, but it's also a fool's errand.

Now that we're in 2026, that three-year evaluation window has officially closed for the Cowboys' 2023 draft class. With three full seasons of evidence, it's time for an honest re-grade. Unfortunately, this one isn't difficult.

In my opinion, the Cowboys' 2023 draft class was a major disappointment.

2023 Draft Class Re-Grades

1st Round – DT Mazi Smith: F- (Bust)

2nd Round – TE Luke Schoonmaker: D (Has looked more like a fifth- or sixth-round pick than a second-round selection.)

3rd Round – LB DeMarvion Overshown: C+ (The lone bright spot. If he continues to develop, this grade could still improve.)

4th Round – DE Viliami Fehoko: F (The pedigree - Vita Vea - didn't translate to NFL production.)

6th Round – CB Eric Scott Jr.: F (Made worse by the fact that the Cowboys traded up to draft him.)

6th Round – RB Deuce Vaughn: F (A great story, but it never translated into sustained NFL)

7th Round – WR Jalen Brooks: F (Another late-round lottery ticket that didn't pan out.)

Seven draft picks and five of them earn an F from me, with only Luke Schoonmaker and "Agent 0" (DeMarvion Overshown) remaining on the roster today.

The consequences of this draft have been significant. Instead of building through young, inexpensive talent, the front office has had to spend premium assets correcting its mistakes. Trading away Micah Parsons along with future draft capital to acquire proven veterans like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark is a direct reflection of how costly these misses became.

When you largely sit out free agency—aside from bargain shopping for low-cost veterans—and then fail to capitalize on the draft, it's a recipe for falling behind the rest of the league. The draft is supposed to be the foundation of sustained success, and this class clearly failed to provide it.

My Final Grade for the Cowboys' 2023 Draft Class: D-

While Overshown has been a bright spot when on the field and Schoonmaker has at least remained on the roster, that's simply not enough to save a class that produced so little impact. Three years later, this draft stands as one of the Cowboys' biggest missed opportunities in recent memory. It's one thing to miss on a pick. That happens. But to miss on an entire draft is another. And Jerry Jones should be ashamed.

EDIT

Saw to late that it was a post from my bbf.

Deleted my answer. Not worth the time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[jaybird]

Legendary coaches like Tom Landry and Bill Parcells always preached the same philosophy: give a draft class three full seasons before deciding what you really have. Evaluating a draft immediately after it's announced or the morning after is entertaining, but it's also a fool's errand.

Now that we're in 2026, that three-year evaluation window has officially closed for the Cowboys' 2023 draft class. With three full seasons of evidence, it's time for an honest re-grade. Unfortunately, this one isn't difficult.

In my opinion, the Cowboys' 2023 draft class was a major disappointment.

2023 Draft Class Re-Grades

1st Round – DT Mazi Smith: F- (Bust)

2nd Round – TE Luke Schoonmaker: D (Has looked more like a fifth- or sixth-round pick than a second-round selection.)

3rd Round – LB DeMarvion Overshown: C+ (The lone bright spot. If he continues to develop, this grade could still improve.)

4th Round – DE Viliami Fehoko: F (The pedigree - Vita Vea - didn't translate to NFL production.)

6th Round – CB Eric Scott Jr.: F (Made worse by the fact that the Cowboys traded up to draft him.)

6th Round – RB Deuce Vaughn: F (A great story, but it never translated into sustained NFL)

7th Round – WR Jalen Brooks: F (Another late-round lottery ticket that didn't pan out.)

Seven draft picks and five of them earn an F from me, with only Luke Schoonmaker and "Agent 0" (DeMarvion Overshown) remaining on the roster today.

The consequences of this draft have been significant. Instead of building through young, inexpensive talent, the front office has had to spend premium assets correcting its mistakes. Trading away Micah Parsons along with future draft capital to acquire proven veterans like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark is a direct reflection of how costly these misses became.

When you largely sit out free agency—aside from bargain shopping for low-cost veterans—and then fail to capitalize on the draft, it's a recipe for falling behind the rest of the league. The draft is supposed to be the foundation of sustained success, and this class clearly failed to provide it.

My Final Grade for the Cowboys' 2023 Draft Class: D-

While Overshown has been a bright spot when on the field and Schoonmaker has at least remained on the roster, that's simply not enough to save a class that produced so little impact. Three years later, this draft stands as one of the Cowboys' biggest missed opportunities in recent memory. It's one thing to miss on a pick. That happens. But to miss on an entire draft is another. And Jerry Jones should be ashamed.

Wow what a horrible draft. As big as a fan i am of Overshown, he still has yet to show value. Hooefully this year. D- is about right.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

This is why you have to supplement through free agency. When you rely so much on the draft class and it wiffs you really hurts the class.

Oddly enough a really good draft class helps the team in the short term but then you have to pay up for it later and it hurts your cap.

Remember when the Cowboys would go crazy in free agency each year. I mean even the players agents knew the cowboys would pay top dollar and I believe that some faked other teams interest to get Jerry to pay more. But at the same time there were drafts where they either just wanted backup players, were hurting at a position and over drafted players ( three gloves draft) and how can we ever forget the draft where they kept trading down and later it was called the special teams draft.


It has been a long time since this team has done well in both the draft and FA. I think they were forced to do more in FA this time and even then it was not a huge FA by any means. One could argue that trading picks for players was more substantial by a mile.

Well said...